Basting liquid
In saucepan combine ½ cup sherry, ½ cup water and the juice of one lemon

Preparing the Goose for roasting:

Dry goose well with paper towels. Remove loose fat near cavity of the goose. Rub cavity with ½ lemon and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread ½ of the chestnut stuffing along the cavity of the goose. Arrange the 20 prunes on top. Cover prunes with the remaining stuffing. Top it with the quartered apples, rounded side up. Truss the goose. Prick the goose with a skewer along fatty parts. Coat skin with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400.

Lay goose breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 325, turn bird on its side and roast for 30 minutes, basting twice with sherry mixture brought to simmer. Turn bird to other side and roast 30 minutes more basting twice with sherry mixture. Add 1 large onion, peeled and halved to roasting pan. Turn goose breast side down, prick fatty parts with skewer, roast it for 30 minutes more, basting twice. Turn bird breast side up and roast 30 minutes more, again basting twice. Be sure to remove fat as it accumulates.

Shell and peel 2 pounds chestnuts. Simmer chestnuts in brown stock to cover about 30 minutes or until soft, but still crumbly. Drain chestnuts and crumble into large bowl with the 6 slices of very dry white bread lightly toasted and crumbled. In skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and sauté the goose liver for about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop liver and transfer to chestnut mixture. In the same skillet sauté the shallots until golden. Transfer to chestnut mixture. Again in same skillet, sauté the sausage meat, breaking up the meat while sautéing. Transfer to chestnut mixture. Add parsley, salt, thyme and pepper. Combine stuffing well. Correct seasoning. If you like a moister stuffing, you can add some giblet stock. If you like a more compact stuffing, you can also add a beaten egg yolk.

Chop goose into pieces of 1 1/2 inches. Brown goose and vegetables in the hot goose fat until brown. Pour out browning fat. Add the stock and if needed a little water to cover the vegetables and goose parts by ½ inch. Simmer 1 1/2 hours. Strain and decrease.